Hinata the Hero
by ScarletQueen101
Summary: In a war torn land, a young shy girl takes her cousin's place in the army thanks to a potion to change appearance. If found, certain death. Not that war would guarantee her safety. She meets old friends along the way: Naruto, Sasuke , Shikamaru, and more. Naruhina fanfic
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: This is my first fan fiction. Expect a hell lot of drama, romance, some emotional and sad parts, with a dash of humour….. and **_**voila **_**! Hope you like it and please review. This chapter is sorta emotional. _**

Chapter 1

_Once upon a time, there was a land far away named Konoha. It once was a happy country under the rule of the Sarutobi dynasty, until a man named Danzo along with his soldiers slaughtered the royal family taking the crown for himself, plunging the land into chaos and disorder and war-torn._

" _And they all lived happily ever after " _

_Not. _

_Little did they know that the age of darkness was coming to an end, and it was all thanks to our valiant, honourable, brave,…. Hinata?! _

The sun had begun to set in the horizon, painting the sky in so many colours of red and orange, each mixing with each other.

A young man with long, black hair tied in a loose pony tail gazed at it with his lavender, pupil-less eyes while he laid on a bed.

He let out a nerve wracking cough and covered his mouth with his hand. His body shook uncontrollably, but that was nothing compared to how he felt when he saw the blood on his hand. He cursed.

" I don't care if I have a fatal disease, I promised Hinata's father that I would take care of his daughters. That is exactly what I'll do, dying or not" he muttered to himself, trying to give himself a pep talk.

"Neji ", a sweet, bell- like voice came from the entrance of the cottage. It was filled with worry.

"Hinata " Neji started, only to collapse onto the bed one more in writhing agony.

She rushed over and pressed a wet cloth to his forehead. She started to talk to her cousin soothingly. She bit her lip, his face was covered in sweat and his mouth was contorted into a grimace. If only she had some money….

She glanced at the clock, Hanabi would be coming home soon. She stood up slowly and walked unsteadily to the kitchen when she heard a loud banging on the door. Neji stared at the door in alarm, Hinata walked to the old, worn door and opened it, revealing a fat, bald man with a baby like face in a soldier's uniform picking his nose. Her eyes narrowed. What the hell?

He straightened up when he saw her and handed over a parchment with the king's seal on it. She took it tentatively and began to sweat. The king?! They didn't do anything wrong! She blanched. Was it because of Hanabi's prank last week? Surely, the king couldn't be angry just because Hanabi slipped a whoopee cushion under one of the nobles seat at the banquet. How did he know?! Her fingers trembled as she held it and gave the soldier a weak smile.

" Say, you're pretty cute." The soldier smirked, leaning in. She blushed and stared at her feet. " How about it? You, me, and a nice picn-"

_Heck no._

He wrapped his fat arm around her and whispered in her ear, causing her to gasp slightly in surprise , only to stop abruptly when he caught sight of Neji's death glare. He shuddered and backed off, much to her relief, " I'll see you later" Hinata scrunched up her nose. _God, please no_. Neji's glare intensified. The soldier started to sweat and squeaked in a high- pitch voice. "Or maybe not". He ran as fast as his fat legs could carry him.

Hinata let out a sigh of relief that he was gone. _Phew. _She gave a stern look to Neji who was beaming with satisfaction, but in the end her 'glare' was replaced by a happy smile. She gave the parchment to him and let him read it.

_Please don't let it be about Hanabi. Please don't let it be about Hanabi. Please don't let it be about Hanabi. Please don't –_

Neji read the paper with an expression less face, but his eyes were full of anger, sadness, shock. He hissed, "Stupid, damn war!"

Hinata felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. _The war? It was true that the war between Konoga and Kirigakure was leaving the country in poverty. Many were starving, homeless. She thought that being on the outskirts of the country, they could be safe . How stupid._

Neji looked at her with a pain stricken face, "They want to recruit me as a soldier"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Sorry for not updating sooner. No internet **

Hinata blanched, " Wha- What?"

Neji glared at the paper and let out a steady stream of curses. He had only a month left before he had to go. He stopped glaring when he noticed something at the bottom.

He stopped cursing and gave a weak smile, "Look, if I go, the king would provide protection, provisions, and money to the soldier's family and if I die -"

Hinata shot up, grabbing Neji by his shirt and bringing him close to her.

"No way" she hissed through gritted teeth. "There is no _freaking_ I'll let you go and risk your life, not in this condition "She looked at his hand with blood pointedly.

Neji looked at his cousin in surprise. She had never lost her temper. Never. But the look in her lavender eyes were serious. He wrapped his arms around her, startling her and murmured, " I'm sorry. I don't have a choice. We're poor, the cost for my medicines are a pain in the ass"

She opened her mouth to protest but he cut in firmly," I have to keep my promise to your father. I have to protect you and Hanabi"

He smirked and released her, " Don't underestimate me, I'll be back"

He leaned back and sighed happily, " Who knows? I might even see the old gang again. Don't worry, I'll bring them over, especially _Naruto_" He emphasised the last word and chuckled when his cousin blushed.

Someone cleared her throat behind them. Hinata spun around to come face to face with her stoic faced, prodigy of a sister, Hanabi who strode over and gave a report card from her school. Full in everything, Hinata glanced at it. She looked up to see a bored- Hanabi. Of course she was used to it. Nothing new here. _Sooo not fair._ She stood up and dragged her sister to her room.

Neji closed his eyes. Stupid war. Stupid king. He wished Danzo would just go jump into a river already.

" _HYUUGA NEJI_" A fuming brown haired girl wearing a brown tunic stood at the door way.

Neji winced. He was about to meet something scarier than his worst nightmare, his angry girlfriend. He was officially screwed. TenTen stomped over and grabbed his shirt.

What was with girls and grabbing his shirt today?

A bead of sweat trailed down his face and he smiled innocently ," Hey, beautiful day isn't it? ". Tenten raised an eyebrow. Like hell she was going to fall for _that_.

"Don't you 'beautiful day' me mister! There is no way you are going to fight in the war." She shook him. _Shit. _Neji covered his hand with his mouth but it was of no use. Blood spilled down his shirt as his body shook. He took a few breaths to try to calm himself down. It was getting worse.

TenTen choked, springing away immediately in guilt, " I – I'm so – sorry "

Neji shook his head ," Not your fault" he gasped for breath. TenTen sat by him, he placed his head on her lap as she stroked his hair, ignoring the blood. She felt her heart break and she choked up . She and Hinata had been trying to save as much money for his treatment as possible, but it was never enough. Heck, Hanabi could only go to school because she had won a scholarship.

Neji stood up, shaking, and hugged her, whispering into her ear," You and I both know that the chances of me surviving this war are zilch. But, if I die, the money would benefit Hinata and Hanabi. I'm going to die anyway. Take care of them after I'm gone" He looked at TenTen's face and lovingly tucked a loose, brown strand behind her ear.

" Why do you have to go? I know that the king wants ever y man above 15 years of age because our country is losing badly but, can't you dress up as a girl or something" TenTen suggested weakly," You look like a girl anyway"

Neji sweat dropped. He looked like a _girl_?!

He sighed. That broke the mood.

" I'm sorry. I love you, no matter what. Even if you become as fat as an elephant- "

TenTen glared. Neji smirked. Revenge was sweet.

"- I'll always be thinking of you"

TenTen silenced him with a kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He was surprised but kissed her back.

" You should really shut up sometimes " She smiled as he wiped her tears.

They spent the night together. Her sleeping on his shoulder while he leaned back, sitting on his bed to look at the moon. He looked at her tenderly while moonlight spilled all over her face illuminating it. She let out a small snore and he chuckled. He pressed his lips against her forehead feeling contentment wash over him. He wanted to look at her as much as possible before he had to go. He spent the night memorizing her face and recalling every moment they had together.

" _You really don't know what you had before you lost it_" he thought sadly before he finally fell asleep.

Hinata went into her room after forcing Hanabi to go to the market to buy herbs. As usual , her room was a mess. She never did have time to clean it. She plopped down in the middle of it, her long, white skirt winding around her slender legs, and picked up one of her mother's journals , like she had done every time she had felt depressed. It made her feel closer to her mother who had died giving birth to Hanabi. She had been only 5 years old. It was thanks to her mother's journals that she was able to make a living, making medicines from herbs. She had learned and practiced from them since she was young. She picked up an old book that she had never seen before. It was a dusty red and had a seal on it. Hinata closed her eyes and let her chakra flow into it. Recognizing her chakra, it opened. She pursed her lips and read the first page .

Her mind went blank and her heart banged like crazy as she read her mother's spidery handwriting.

_Oh god_….


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**This chapter is dedicated to MYK-ON for being my first reviewer. A big thank you to all the people who gave this story a chance!**

**Disclaimer: I OWN NARUTO!**

***FBI pops out of nowhere***

**FBI: You're under arrest.**

**Me: I – I, oh shit. CURSE YOU PERRY THE PLATAPUS!**

Hinata's eyes ran over the first page of the journal again and again. Her heart beated like crazy and a small, but determined smile crept onto her face as a plan began to form in her mind. She wasn't going to be the helpless maiden anymore. This was her way to repay Neji for everything he had done for them.

" Teach me how to fight" Hinata insisted the next day.

TenTen blinked at her in surprise."Wha?" She was dumbstruck. _Hinata _wanted to fight_? _She gaped at her, she couldn't even imagine the young apothecarist fighting. Not even in her wildest dreams.

"Please _Sensei_" She looked up at her with wide, doe-like eyes.

"_Sensei_, I like the sound of that" TenTen mused, smiling to herself.

Hinata forced down her smile. _Bingo_. She had found her weak spot.

"_Please Sensei_, you're the best weapons mistress in our village" she pleaded.

TenTen cursed. Damn her big, fat ego. " Fine" she muttered, " Meet me tomorrow at 10._Sharp"_She tried to look menacingly at her new student who was grinning as if Naruto had kissed her. She was practically _glowing_ for god's sake. She half-skipped and half-ran off throwing a 'thank you' over her shoulder while some of the village boys gazed up at her with the typical 'lovestruck' look.

TenTen smirked. Hinata _was_ quite the beauty. She sighed and face palmed, " What have I gotten myself into?"

"Step one: Success" Hinata grinned as she began mixing up various herbs to make medicines for the villagers. She was the village's doctor, witch, healer, apothecarist. She could heal the sickest of the sick, help a woman give birth, and so on, just like her mother. Yet, she couldn't even help her own cousin, he needed a professional, like Tsunade , but she wouldn't be able to pay for her services.

She glanced at the journal. _A potion to change one's appearance_. It was simple enough.

A sound of footsteps could be heard near the open door. Hinata looked up, Neji was sleeping, slightly snoring, while Hanabi was missing as usual, Hinata just couldn't understand that girl. It was as if there was a wall between them.

A young, brown- haired man with green eyes stumbled in. "H- Hinata"he greeted, his cheeks were slightly pink.

She smiled at him warmly,"Jet".

He sat down next to the dark – haired girl who looked at him expectantly.

"Well, how's your leg?"

Jet glanced down at his right leg ,"That artificial leg you gave me works like a charm, thanks ,I stil limp a bit, but its better than having not having a leg at all "

Hinata blushed, glowing with pride. She wondered why he was here. Was he sick? He didn't seem like it.

"Anyway, I've been recruited for the war" He looked at her with a serious expression. Hinata's smile vanished and she glowered. Jet too? What was wrong with the king?!

"I wanted to tell you something for a long time but" he coughed nervously, looking away.

Something clawed at Hinata's stomach_. Uh Oh_.

"Hinata , you're unlike any girl I have ever met. You're kind, smart, and caring. I want to tell you that I" He looked at her with shining green eyes.

_Here it comes._

"love you" he finished.

Hinata felt her heart fall to her stomach. Why? Why couldn't those words come out of the one person she truly loved. The blond who… didn't even know she existed.

Life sucked. That was a fact.

"I-I'm sorry. I love some one else" She stammered looking everywhere except at Jet.

His face fell, just like all the others who had told her the same thing.

"I see. I'm sorry to have wasted your time" His face was expressionless and he limped unsteadily to the door. But before he left he said sadly without turning around," He must be a great guy"

The floor suddenly looked very interesting to her," Yeah, he is"

_Naruto…. _


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3**

**Author's Note: This chapter is a flashback ,and um….. hope you like it!. Please review.**

**Disclaimer: I OWN NARUTO! I'M MAKING LOTS OF MONEY! Yeah, right. In my dreams.**

The young Hyuuga tried to dodge her father's blows as fast as she could, her younger sister sat quietly near the door, watching her weak , older sister with disapproving eyes. Her father lunged again, the girl eyes widened with horror, it was of no use. She was too tired, and the blow connected with her stomach sending her flying backwards, crashing into the wall.

" Weak " Hiashi hissed at his daughter, "You're weak, pathetic".

He stood in front of her with his kimono's right hand sleeve unusually long. He never did use that hand and had been hiding it for as long as Hinata knew. He used his left hand for everything.

He turned on his heel and stomped away, stopping only to look at Hanabi with a stern look, " I hope you won't disappoint me"

Hanabi's cheeks flushed with happiness. Her father usually avoided her like the plague. She nodded happily, she wouldn't let him down.

Hinata let out a groan and stood up unsteadily, everything was spinning. 'Weak, pathetic' , her father's words spun around her head like a broken recorder. Her eyes met Hanabi's for a brief moment before her sister quickly looked away and ran out of the room. Hinata stared at the floor angrily. She tried and tried to please her father but it was never enough. She slammed her fist with against the floor angrily and began to cry. _She really was weak and pathetic._

Hiashi walked in again to call his daughter, his expression softened when he saw his daughter cry.

_I'm sorry, this is for your own good._

"Hinata" His voice boomed .His daughter looked up at him sadly. " We're going to visit your cousin"

The carriage shook as the Hyuugas travelled to a village nearby. Hinata sat in the carriage, neat and prim, like a princess with her eyes closed while Hanabi was reading a book with apt interest. Hiashi looked out the window. Soon. Soon, the curse that Danzo had put on him would engulf his entire body. Nearly half of his body was transformed into stone.

_Hiashi and Hizashi were born into the world when it was free from war. Back then, the Hyuugas were rich and powerful. Expecting, only one child, their parents told the king that they were expecting only one child. To say that they were surprised to have twins would be an understatement. But Hizashi's presence was kept as a secret. He was kept inside the house, locked up. When Danzo came to power, he ordered war, he wanted to take over all the countries. He wanted to send all the men from Konoha to fight. Hizashi went instead Hiashi, he wanted to protect his brother, knowing that Hizashi would be a far better heir than him, much to his brother's refusal. His son, Neji was only a baby then._

_He died. His death had a huge impact on Hiashi. He tried to lead a rebellion against Danzo, but it failed. Danzo cursed him, telling him that death would be too quick of a punishment. His entire body would transform into stone. The Hyuugas fell, they became poor and weak. It was the ultimate punishment._

He glanced at his shy daughter, Hinata, the Child of the Prophecy. His wife's last words echoed in his head once more.

" _Reyna!" He cried as the woman he loved took in rapid, shallow breaths. Her purple hair was min a mess while her lavender eyes spun. _

_Blood. There was so much blood. _

" _I'm sorry, there is nothing we can do" the doctor said calmly. He spun around, ready to scream out every curse word he knew, when he felt his wife grip his arm._

_Her eyes were focused, her snow white cheeks were flushed and she spoke rapidly. Her eyes turned into liquid gold, " __**A time will come, when evil shall perish**_

_**By fulfilling a promise, an age -old wish**_

_**A stone of fire,**_

_**burns likes its creator's will and desire. **_

_**The Maiden will return among a time of doom**_

_**When darkness is everywhere and everywhere shadows loom**_

_**As a girl with eyes as clear as her heart, as pure as water**_

_**The enemy of dark" **_

_Hiashi frowned, a prophecy? Reyna could foretell the future, but at a time like this? _

_His wife muttered something he couldn't understand._

_He leaned in closer and heard her whisper, " That girl is…. Hinata"_

_Her voice cracked at that last part and her eyes closed for the last time as the baby Hanabi wailed._

_She had done her part. She whispered a prayer for both her daughter's safety and left the world._

Hinata ran out of the carriage and straight for the home they usually stayed in, carrying her bag along with her, when they came to the village. The air was crisp and the trees shook in the breeze, full of flowers and greenery. Hiashi grunted and Hanabi and him walked slowly behind. His eyes were clouded _I don't have much time left_. Hanabi looked at him in worry.

The house was huge. It was old, and falling apart. But she loved it. It was full of furniture anda huge chandelier swung from above. Cobwebs were everywhere and rats scurried around.

But the place was full of memories. She had come her with her mother often. She smiled at ran her fingers along an old painting of a beautiful woman engulfed in white light. She wore a white, flowing gown and her dark hair was tied up elegantly. Her arms were stretched out and in each hand was a ball of light. Right in the middle, where her heart should be, was a stone seemingly made of fire.

" _Who is she?" a young Hinata tugged on her mother's gown. Reyna scooped up her daughter, " Why , can't you see? It's me!" she laughed._

"_Mooom" Hinata pouted._

_Reyna stopped laughing and looked at the painting wistfully," She is the Maiden. Back when Konoha was first created, she was known as its protector who had unimaginable magic. She was the king's advisor and his closest friend, King Hashirama, the first king. " Reyna's face grew dark, "On her death bed, she summoned up all her magic and formed the Stone of Fire, a source of immense magic, it was made of her own Will of Fire, the will to protect Konoha, she created 2 guardians, Kiba, the dog, and Shino, the bug. She sid that she would return when the world needed her the has it that she is our ancestor."_

_Hinata blinked," I think I like the story of Cinderella better". Reyna smiled._

She looked outside. Her father and her sister still hadn't come. She sighed and twiddled her fingers, before deciding to go outside. She ran into the main part of the village. It was bustling with life. Men sat and talked while women gossiped. Children ran everywhere. There was happiness everywhere. Hinata smiled, it was infectious, she couldn't help it.

She looked around until her gaze fell upon a blond boy fighting with another boy who had black hair and black eyes.

" Give it up, Naruto" a brown-haired boy with eyes just like her, rolled his eyes," You can't beat Sasuke , he's way stronger than you"

A pine-apple haired boy yawned while a fat boy was stuffing his face. Two girls, one with blonde hair and the other with pink were shouting encouragements to Sasuke. As if he needed them.

Hinata looked at the blond boy sadly. Talk about déjà vu.

_You can't help it if you're weak. You can't change yourself._

But he stood up, even though he was badly bruised, he stood up," I- won't give up. I will defeat you and – make you eat your words teme!"

_I won't give up? That's stupid, he can't win…._

Sasuke sighed," You're annoying, dobe"

He turned to attack Naruto when he saw a fist about to hit him. His eyes widened in surprise before Naruto punched him. Hard. Sasuke went out cold.

_He…did it._

Naruto let out a whoop," You saw that , Neji, I kicked his ass!"

The pine-apple haired boy smirked," You caught him by surprise, that doesn't count"

Hinata smiled.

I won't give up.

Hinata found herself watching them everyday. Whenever she watched Naruto, she felt like she wasn't weak and pathetic…. like she was capable of something too.

He changed her, just by being himself.

Little did she know, that she was falling for him. Hard.

Neji walked to the Hyuuga estate. His uncle was in town? He honestly couldn't care less. It was because of him that his father died. He pressed his lips together and stepped into the estate.

He was an orphan, just like Naruto, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, and Sakura. They were war orphans and all stayed with a man named Kakashi.

He walked up the huge staircase and stepped inside an old bedroom.

"Uncle" he greeted formally, his voice devoid of any emotion.

Hiashi sat up from his bed and motioned him to come over. When he did so, he took his hand in his large ones, startling Neji.

" I don't have much time left. I –" he took in a deep breath, looking at Neji's wide eyes," You look just like him, just like Hizashi"

Neji flinched.

Hiashi looked down," I didn't want him to die. He chose to do so, for me, for the Hyuugas. I'm not asking you to forgive me, I just want you to know how I feel."

Neji's bottom lip trembled as Hiashi said sadly," You are the son that I have always wanted but never could have"

He lifted his kimono with his left hand, revealing a stone arm. Hiashi said grimly,"Soon, my whole body will turn into stone. Before Reyna died, she recited a prophecy stating that Hinata would save the world at its time of need. I want you to protect her and Hanabi."

Neji didn't say anything. He was too transfixed on the stone that was slowly creeping over his uncle's chest.

" I leave whatever is left of the Hyuuga wealth to you. Please protect them. I- " he hesitated," I tried to make Hinata stronger, but I was too hard on her, and Hanabi, oh god, whenever I looked at her, I was instantly reminded of Reyna's death. I know its not her fault, but…" he shook his head pathetically.

The stone had covered his entire body by then, his breathing was laboured, Hiashi choked out," Neji,please, promise me that you will protect them."

Neji grabbed his hand," I promise"

Hiashi smiled for the first time after his wife's death and his eyes closed for the last time before the stone crept over him, petrifying his entire body. Hanabi stood near the door, silently crying.

_So that's why you ignored me father._


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Back to the main story! Hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I-Oh, forget it.**

To say that TenTen's training was harsh would be an understatement. It was gruelling. It was tough. It was hell. It was ….perfect.

Thanks to the training, Hinata was able to sword fight at an average level. She wasn't at Neji's level or at TenTen's level. But, there wasn't any time left. Only one day left.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

The swords clashed against each other, sending sparks everywhere. TenTen brought her sword down, hard. Hinata swung her sword to block it and leaped back to keep some distance. She ran forward again, sword at ready, and feinted to the left. TenTen gasped for air. They had been fighting nonstop for the past 3 hours. She was gasping for air, about to collapse while Hinata….

Her dark hair was tied up into a high pony tail, her face was determined, she didn't even break a sweat. Her lavender eyes were narrowed and were burning with a desire to win. TenTen smiled.

_Not bad. I'm a pretty good teacher._

TenTen swung her sword to the left, ready to block, dizzy from the long fight, when Hinata immediately swung to the right. Her sword hovered inches away from TenTen's heart. TenTen let out a sigh of relief. Hinata stepped back, the sweet, innocent look back in her face and bowed. TenTen beamed.

_It always hurts when the student surpasses the master._

"Thank you, Sensei" Hinata bowed deeply.

TenTen reached behind her and took out a something long covered in cloth. She cradled it like a baby before handing it to Hinata," I want you to have it, it's a gift"

Hinata opened her mouth to protest, but TenTen said firmly, " You're the beat student I have ever had. C'mon, just take it"

Hinata's eyes watered up," But, I'm the only student you have ever had"

TenTen puffed out her cheeks," Don't ruin the moment"

Hinata nodded, and wiped her tears. She opened the gift carefully and gasped, "I-It's beautiful"

TenTen glowed," I made it myself. After all, I'm not the daughter of a blacksmith for nothing!"

It was a sword. It's hilt was made of dark leather, and the blade was silver with a fire-breathing dragon engraved on it. In the middle of the hilt, was a beautiful amethyst.

Hinata's eyes watered up again,"Th- Thank you", she sniffled.

TenTen face palmed ,"Sheesh" . But she smiled," Name it"

Hinata stared at her feet for a while, deep in thought. "Destiny"

TenTen's face fell, "What? Why not something like Doom- bringer or Blood-spiller, something scary"

**TENTEN'S IMAGINATION**

" _**You underestimated me" an angry TenTen hissed, her sword raised above her head, ready to give the final blow.**_

_**A man, the enemy, grovelled at her feet,"N-No, please! Have mercy! Katerina is waiting for me, back home"**_

_**TenTen didn't waver," Who is that? Your wife"**_

_**The man shook his head, "Um, no…she's my dog"**_

_**TenTen's left eye twitched, "Die, bastard! At the hands of my great sword, Cuddly-kins!"**_

_**The man stared at her, and bursted with laughter. He slammed his fist against the floor as he rolled, laughing.**_

_**He later died, because he laughed too much**_

TenTen scrunched up her face, " Nuh-uh"

Hinata rushed forward and hugged her, " Thank you, so much"

TenTen was surprised by her sincerity," What happened, you're acting as if you're never gonna see me again"

Hinata looked at her with a look that TenTen couldn't understand. And with one last smile, she took __the sword and walked off.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Neji looked outside. The time has come. He would leave tomorrow.

A young, dark- haired girl stared at her feet in front of him.

"Hanabi!" he smiled.

" You're leaving, tomorrow, right?" she asked, not looking at his face.

Neji patted her head awkwardly," Yeah. But, Hinata will protect you"

Hanabi looked at him in disbelief, "_Hinata_?"

Neji looked outside and smiled when he saw his cousin returning home with a sword at her side.

" TenTen has been teaching her how to fight, for the past one month. I heard she's pretty good. " He turned to look at her," Have faith in her"

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Hinata raised the flask and peered into the clear solution.. 3 leaves from the White Zetsu plant. Check. Powdered bark from the Chakra tree. Check. DNA from the person you wish to look like.

Hinata stood up, a heavy feeling in her heart and crept over to Neji's room. TenTen was fast asleep in his lap. After all, it was their last night. Or so they thought.

She looked at her cousin's sleeping face. He looked so pale, wisps of brown hair covered his face. Taking a deep breath, she plucked on strand from his face. He winced and stirred. She held her breath. He was fast asleep again. She picked up the letter from the king. She would need it to get inside the army camp.

She pressed her lips to his forehead, "I'm sorry"

She did the same to Hanabi too.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

It was midnight.

She dropped the hair into the solution; it changed into a silvery colour. She prepared enough for it too last for about 9 months. Tilting her head back, she drank the contents.

It had a sharp metallic taste, and it burned as it ran down her throat. She clutched her stomach as it burned inside. She panicked, did she do something wrong? Black spots covered her vision and grew until everything went pitch black.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Hinata stood up groggily.

_Where ….am I?_

Brilliant stars glowed everywhere as a dark nothingness enveloped everywhere. She felt a strange impulse to look down and gasped. Nothing. She was standing on nothing.

It was more like she was floating in the night sky.

"YOUTH!" a voice screamed behind her.

Hinata whirled around to face a green-clad boy around her age with impossibly-thick eyebrows and bowl hair-cut.

She stared at him.

Why couldn't she meet some old fairy god mother or something?

Just her luck.

"Soooo, you're the one who drank the potion, Man, you better have a good reason to drink it. The spirits are really pissed off" He smiled,his teeth sparkling like crazy.

Hinata winced but told him the entire story.

Lee gaped at her, "Whoa"

" Spirits? Like the one in stories" she asked curiously.

The boy nodded," By the way, I'm Rock Lee, The Noble Green Beast"

Hinata being the polite and kind girl she was, smiled, "Its nice to meet you, Rock Lee."

He teared up,"N-No one has ev-ever been so nice to me, they just say ' Hey idiot!"

He bawled. A fountain of tears erupted from his eyes. Hinata patted his back awkwardly.

Lee wiped his tears and gave her a thumbs up," I will talk to the spirits and calm them down. Good luck on your journey,Hinata"

Hinata's eyes widened,"W-Wait!"

Whatever she had been standing on disappeared and she fell.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Her eyes fluttered open to see the familiar ceiling of her bedroom. She sat up unsteadily and ran her fingers through her brown hair.

She froze.

Brown?!

She ran to the mirror and nearly collapsed at what she saw. A handsome boy with Hyuuga eyes in a boy's brown tunic stared back at her. She suppressed her desire to let out a whoop.

She was Neji.

The potion worked!

Now…

A feeling of dread covered her as she picked up her sword, a bag which contained all the things that she would probably need, and the letter.

She took in a deep breath.

_Now or never._

It was time.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Hey, sorry for the wait.**

**Disclaimer- Me: Today's Disclaimer announcer is….Sasuke!**

**( fangirls start screaming)**

**Sasuke: Hn.* eats tomato***

**Me: Stupid chicken ass* grabs him by the shirt* **

**Huryy up, or I'll write a nice, perverted NaruSasu story with lots of-**

**Sasuke: * blanches* - ScarletQueen101 does not own Naruto!**

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

The sun had begun to peek over the horizon. Some of the village boys and men had decided to leave already without their family's notice to avoid the sentimental crying and the 'don't go' scenarios. Hinata- er- _Neji_ was one of them. Sort of.

Hinata mentally slapped herself.

_I'm such an idiot! How am I supposed to get to the army camp?!_

Hinata groaned inwardly_. Stupid,stupid!_

The camp was at least a half-day walk away, by then Neji would…..

_A sudden vision of a hundred feet tall standing amongst flames with raging fire in his eyes towering above her appeared in her head._

" _Hinata"his voice boomed, echoing again and again,"How dare you?!"_

Hinata shuddered. She had to move fast. She looked around anxiously.

_Come on, come on._ Her eyes widened when she caught sight of Jet. _Bingo!_

She ran over to the brown-haired boy as he tried to mount a horse but failed.

"Jet!" she yelled in her voice.

Jet spun around at hearing he love of his life's voice, only to see _Neji_ of all people running towards him. _What the hell?_

"Neji- sama" he bowed deeply.

Hinata looked at him perplexed. _Huh? Neji-sama?_

_Right, everyone in the village except TenTen and our family calls him that because he was a renowned fighte known for his tenketsu, a style of pressing one's pressure points to paralyze them.._

Hinata's eyes widened. Of course, she was_ Neji. _She couldn't keep her guard down, even for a second. She cleared her throat and said in a deeper, Neji-ish voice, " Can you take me to the army camp near The Bloody River."

Jet nodded,"Of course, Neji-sama, I'm going there as well." He looked at her shyly," You can…ride behind me"

Hinata let out a sigh of relief," Thank you, can we – um" she glanced nervously at her cottage and looked at Jet with urgence,"move_ now_?! "

Jet blinked in surprise and bowed before mounting onto his horse. Hinata climbed on as well, thanking TenTen in her head for teaching her how to mount a horse as well. They rode on in silence.

The only sounds came from the horse and Hinata's occasional humming. Jet was unusually quiet. She looked at the sky.

" _Why do you even want to learn how to fight" TenTen asked suspiciously at her student who was gasping for breath below her. Hinata clutched her stomach and stood up, dizzy, and looked at TenTen straight in the face," I want to protect the people I care about"_

_Her voice was strong and determined. It wasn't exactly a lie._

_TenTen's gaze softened,"I…..see"_

_**I want to protect the people I care about.**_

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

They stopped at a creek to take a break.

"We'll be there in another half an hour" Jet informed her sitting across Hinata in a cross-legged position.

"I thought you were sick" he raised an eyebrow.

"Hinata cured me with one of those medicines of her" Hinata lied smoothly and stroke the horse absent-mindedly. She would see _him_ there. She had to convince everyone that she was Neji, she had to fight, act, and talk like him. She sighed.

Jet looked at her with a funny look before standing up ,"Let's go"

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

Jet pretty much avoided her for the whole ride, he wouldn't look at her, talk to her, or anything.

Hinata stared at the back of his head willing him to just tell her what was bothering her. She would have asked him, but she was Neji, Hyuuga Neji wouldn't do that.

She bit the inside of her cheek and let out a gasp when she saw the army camp. It was huge. There was Konoha's flag in the middle with small houses surrounding it. Men were walking about and talking with eachother. Some were sparring and some were training. She watched as one man threw 5 knives from a good 20 feet distance at 5 targets. Each knife plunged into the bull's eye of each target.

"Whoa" she breathed. Jet shook a bit before climbing down. She jumped off too and held her bag close to her. Her heart beated quickly and she took in deep breaths, trying not to hyperventilate.

_Don't stammer. Don't twiddle your fingers. Don't be shy. Don't stumble. Don't-_

These thoughts ran through her head as she tried to march into the camp, with Jet following meeky behind, with his horse, to talk to a white haired man with a mask. He had a small, orange book in his hand and was reading it. He wore the uniform of higher ranking official, the leader of the camp. She ignored the sneering looks the other men gave her while Jet just stared at his feet.

He raised his head when he saw them coming and smiled crookedly," Hyuuga Neji, I've heard a lot about you."

Hinata's mind went blank. What would she say?! No, what would Neji say? She racked her brains.

She smirked like Neji would,"I hope they were good things"

The man smiled," I'm Hatake Kakashi, you'll be under my charge. Welcome to regiment number 7. You will stay at-" He stared at a list he took out of his pocket," tent number 9". He pointed to a tent that was a bit isolated, near the Bloody River, which looked red like blood at sunset.

She nodded nervously and walked there slowly. She had to share a tent with … _men_. Great.

She opened the flap of the tent to reveal 4 men eating their lunch. Her heart dropped to her stomach as she recognized them. They stared at her in shock, until a blond blur knocked her to the ground. " Neji!" he grinned as he hugged her. He stepped back and grinned. Her heart beated like crazy.

Golden-blond hair. Azure-blue eyes. Tan- skin.

It was him. It was really him. Naruto.

He hugged her. God, he _hugged_ her. Her face exploded into a sea of red- hotness and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. She had officially died and gone to heaven.

**00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000Hope you liked it, please review. I'll be able to upload every Friday from now on, its my freaking punishment.**

**Anyway, the fun is just about to begin.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Hola, hmmmmm, I think I sounded a bit of a bitch in my last chapter.

Oh well.

Thank you for reading my story and faving/ following/ reviewing it. I wasn't sure if people would actually like it, but….. YAY!

This chapter is dedicated to MYK-ON! and ileveria for always reviewing! And a big thanks to chained –love for the review!

I kept my promise. Anyway, here you go.

**0000000**

Hinata's eyes fluttered open then closed again as the first rays of light hit them. Some one shook her shoulder.

She groaned," 5 more minutes".

Some one snickered. Her eyes snapped open as she remembered where she was.

She looked down to see that she was wearing a soldier's uniform, just like everyone else.

Her face flushed re. They changed her! That means they saw her nak-

She stopped. She was Neji. It was no big deal. _Calm down_.

A pair of onyx black eyes met her lavender ones. Spiky, black bangs framed his face which had an expression of indifference written all over it. Sasuke.

He was sitting across from where she was sleeping.

She heard a crunching sound and turned to see a Choji , busy stuffing his face with potato chips.

" How troublesome" Hinata turned again to see Shikamaru lying on his back looking upwards.

She suddenly felt self-conscious, she was in a room surrounded by _guys._

The only guy she had been in a room like this with was Neji, but this was different.

She stood up suddenly, surprising the 3 males, "I'm going to go for a walk". She said staring at the floor in a Neji-ish voice.

Shikamaru shrugged while Choji nodded, his cheeks were puffed out with chips like a squirrel.

" Make sure you don't get hit by any of those throwing knives, people are practicing out there" Sasuke smirked.

Hinata blanched and ran out.

_This is going to be harder than I thought._

**00000000**

Shikamaru opened a lazy eye and looked at Sasuke, "You've noticed too, right?"

He scowled,"Of course, I 've known him for 9 years"

Choji licked his fingers and looked at them curiously," Notice what?"

But silence reigned in the room once more.

**0000000000**

Hinata placed her hand over her pounding heart. She sighed, "I'm pathetic"

Sasuke was right. There_ were _men chucking knives at targets which were marked, well, everywhere.

She walked around and tried to calm herself…. And tried to avoid the knives.

She still couldn't believe she had fainted like that because of Naruto.

She thought about how he hugged her and a blush worked up onto her face.

"Watch out!" a voice cried.

She spun around, just in time to see a knife heading towards her, getting closer by the second.

Without thinking, her hand flung out and caught the knife in midair, inches away from her face.

Her eyes widened and she let a gasp, TenTen's vigorous training had saved her once again. The person who threw it let out a low whistle. She looked at her attacker – an old man with white hair. There were wrinkles on his face as well as 3 lines on the corner of his eyes. He was wearing the everyday dress of a soldier who lived here.

"You look just like your mother"he said thoughtfully, tilting his head. Hinata flinched. How did he know Neji's mother?

"…..Hyuuga Hinata" he finished .

She froze. How did he know?! Oh god, this was bad. Really bad. Had the potion worn off. She picked up the knife and looked at her reflection and sighed with relief as she saw Neji's face looking at her.

She looked at the old man again and went into panic mode. She looked around. No one was looking at them.

Hinata grabbed the old man's hand and dragged him to a lonely spot near the Bloody River, a good 10 feet away fro their tent. He looked at her amused.

" How- How do you know who I am?" She hissed angrily.

He raised an eyebrow," I know many things, child, there is little in this world that my eyes cannot see".

She looked into his dark brown eyes, they were dull due to age but still sharp with a fire raging within.

"Who…are you?"She was at a loss for words.

He thought for a while and smiled, "Call me Hiruzen".

"Hiruzen" she mused. The name seemed… familiar. She snapped her fingers as she remembered,"You have the same name as the dead king who died 30 years ago, Hiruzen Sarutobi!"

Hiruzen's eyes darkened and his smile vanished,"Right"

"Neji "a voice called. She looked over her shoulder to see Kakashi waving at her. She turned to say good bye to the old man, only to find him missing.

She recalled the dark expression on his face.

Did she insult him or something?

" Neji, you've grown up since I last saw you. Sorry about having to have been so formal back there, if I didn't , well…" He trailed off.

Hinata looked at him with worry, " Kakashi, did you see a man named Hiruzen here? He was right here, but…"

Kakashi looked at her as though she had lost her mind, " I've been standing over here for the past half an hour.I only saw you. Besides, there is no one named Hiruzen in our camp ".

**00000**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Hey! Man, I've got this killer head ache and it hurts like hell. I'm 14 and I gotta headache. Jeez, next I'll get a back pain. I might not be able to update next Friday since I'm visiting my grandparents, there isn't any internet there. It might be a while until I , enjoy!**

**00000**

Kakashi's words ran through Hinata's head again and again. Then, who was that man? Her eyes widened.

Oh god, what if he was an enemy who had infiltrated our camp?

She internally groaned. She really was an idiot. The same thought must have struck Kakashi also as he looked at her with a dark and serious expression," Meet me at my tent in the evening to discuss this. Don't breathe a word of this to anyone" He warned.

Hinata nodded slowly, deep in thought. She hadn't told Hiruzen anything of top secret nor had he tried to pry. She let out a hiss. Not only that, he knew who she really was. He had a life threatening secret of hers, he could easily blackmail her. If the higher authorities knew who she really was…..

She suppressed her urge to shudder. No doubt, they would definitely kill her.

Kakashi looked at her face which was full of worry and said softly," Do you want to tell me something?"he said softly, his expression was full of warmth and care.

God, she wanted to. So bad. It would be great to have an ally. But….

She wouldn't want to put his life in danger. She shook her head and stared at the ground.

A tense silence followed.

"How are Sakura and Ino?" She said suddenly, desperately wanting to change the subject. Their names sounded weird on her tongue. She had a vague memory of a pink- haired girl and a blonde hair girl.

Kakshi beamed and looked up at the sky which was a clear azure.

She looked up too and was instantly reminded of Naruto's eyes which were the same shade.

A beautiful colour.

She winced and looked at Kakashi who had begun to talk in a proud voice.

" Sakura is working at the Hospital as a full time doctor and Ino is running a flower shop, but she also works at the Hospital too sometimes"

Hinata smiled. Kakashi reminded her of a proud mother boasting about her kids.

He smirked at her with a playful twinkle in her eye," Sakura and Sasuke are a couple and Ino and Shikamaru" He sighed wistfully," Only Naruto and Choji are left"

"And you"

The words were out of her mouth in a flash. She twitched, she was starting to act like Neji unconsciously!

Fuck!

Oh god, she cussed! The world was coming to an end.

Kakashi threw his head back and laughed before bringing his face near hers," I heard you also found a girl"

TenTen.

" Have you seen Naruto" She looked around nervously, changing the subject again, embarrassed by their close proximity.

Kakashi drew back to scratch his chin thoughtfully," No…I haven't, speaking of Naruto," He looked at her seriously," Go meet Guy, he wanted to talk to you."

Hinata nodded and bowed to Kakashi who merely took out an orange book and took off.

**000000**

Hinata opened the flaps of Guy's tent tentatively allowing sunshine to shine in.

"Come in"A low voice ordered.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside.

It was dark, but had was bright enough to see your way and not bump into things. There were green jumpsuits folded all around and in the middle sat….

"Lee?" she choked out, confused.

What was Lee doing her, wasn't he a spirit?

The man stood up causing the papers on his desk to fly all over the place and in one leap, he reached her and hugged her.

Her left eye twitched but she let him hug her. She was pretty sure he had crushed all her ribs.

"Neji, it is so great to see you.I feel so youthful now! " he cried.

The man drew back and she analysed his face. He looked like an older version of Lee.

He plopped down onto the floor and motioned her to sit down too.

When they were face to face, the crazy smile on his face vanished and he said in a low voice," Our King Danzo often gives missions to the soldiers before the actual battle. Ranging on the difficulty, the money can also vary. They can range from poisoning the enemy's food and water to assassination"

He picked up a scroll and handed it to her," You and Naruto have been assigned for this one, I already told him, he is probably training now".

Hinata nodded seriously. So that was why she hadn't seen him since morning.

Another part of her screamed. She was going on a mission with Naruto.

She sighed happily and opened the scroll to see her mission. Her blood ran cold as she read them.

Oh god, please. This can't be happening.

She covered her face with her hands while Guy looked at her reaction with surprise. He obviously didn't know what her mission was.

She had to assassinate the King of Kirigakure, Han. The Demon of the Bloody Mist who supposedly drank blood.

She was so screwed.


End file.
